The next morning, Caenis woke up and sat on the bed, her mind still hazy. Propping her chin in her hand, she began to think.
"Last night…"
"Hm?"
Circe, sitting at the bedside, stiffened, her eyes instantly sharp with alertness.
"I slept really well…"
"That's good, that's good…"
"It's just… my head hurts a little. Feels kind of fuzzy…"
"Uh—you must've tossed around in your sleep. Probably slept on your neck wrong. Totally normal, totally normal…"
"Oh? It's morning already? …Feels like I'm a little hungry."
Still dazed, Caenis rubbed the back of her head, then her stomach, muttering to herself.
"Right, right. Let's go out, walk around, grab something to eat. Put it all on Jason's tab!"
Circe bobbed her head so fast it was almost comical, her small face pulled into an exaggerated fake smile as she hurried her roommate out of bed.
But—
"Hiss…"
The moment Caenis tried to move, a muted ache spread through every bone and muscle in her body. She sucked in a breath and sat at the edge of the bed, mumbling,
"Something feels… off. Did I forget something?"
"You're imagining things! Definitely imagining things! Come on, let's go before the pastry shop sells out."
"Oh… alright then."
Half coaxing and half pushing her along, Circe helped Caenis put on her travel robe. Still wooden and unfocused, Caenis stepped out of the room—only to stop and stare blankly at the door next door for a long moment.
Seconds ticked away. Beads of cold sweat rolled down Circe's forehead as her hands fumbled beneath the bed, searching in panic.
And just as Caenis slowly turned back, her gaze oddly quiet and lingering, Circe's heart nearly burst out of her chest. Her hands trembled so hard she almost flung the object she was holding.
Thankfully, Caenis simply furrowed her brow, sounding impatient.
"I've been waiting forever. Aren't we leaving?"
Circe froze for a beat, then loosened her grip and forced a bright smile.
"Go, go! Let's go! I'm starving!"
As the Great Witch turned away and locked the door behind her, the shadows under the bed revealed the angular Moon of the Underworld staff—along with a half-open medicine pouch, a few suspicious black pills rolling out from its edge.
...
Once the pair—one tall, one small—walked out of the courtyard, the air at the corridor corner rippled faintly. Samael stepped out of it with a peculiar expression, eyes dark and contemplative.
So… memory erasure?
Seems I scared Circe pretty badly back on Aeaea. She's got trauma this deep now…
He raised a hand awkwardly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as his gaze darted around guiltily.
Yeah… maybe I did go a little too far.
Alright, fine. I'll be more careful next time. And I'll give you guys something to make up for it. That's fair enough, right?
After muttering to himself and soothing the last scraps of his conscience, the Ancient Serpent slipped silently out of the courtyard.
Though Jason had very thoughtfully arranged a quiet little courtyard with only two guest rooms for him and Atalanta—with Circe and Caenis, familiar teammates, living next door—
After seven days of completely unrestrained chaos that ended with such a massive scene, the two culprits responsible for the noise disturbance no longer had the face to stay together. They had mutually agreed—without a word—to walk separately for a while.
...
Iolcos Royal City – Seaport
Samael stood at the edge of the neatly stacked stone embankment, facing the salty sea breeze as he looked down at the churning waves. He lingered there for nearly half a day before drawing back his gaze. After chatting briefly with a few locals, he sat in a quiet corner, watching the various ships returning to port or setting sail, amusement flickering in his eyes.
These little things were barely suitable for coastal fishing. To attempt a long voyage on the Oceanus—especially under its brutal conditions—was nothing short of suicide.
Even the few larger vessels that ventured into deeper waters, trying to haul in bigger catches, returned with their keels scarred by sea beasts or storms. And over forty percent simply never returned.
No wonder the new king, desperate to cling to power, dared to throw the task of retrieving the Golden Fleece at his nephew Jason.
Never mind the trials that would follow. Just finding a vessel capable of making the journey already exceeded the limits of ordinary human shipbuilding and navigation in this era.
Unless a miracle descended, even with a full crew assembled, Jason wouldn't make it past the shoreline.
But as for miracles… well, here it was.
Samael smiled faintly, bit his index finger, and flicked a drop of blood into the raging surf.
A crimson ripple spread. The clouds overhead churned. A golden Magecraft array spanning hundreds of meters ignited in the sky, descending a radiant pillar of light upon the sea.
"Hummmm—"
A resonant vibration rippled outward. And from the veil of light emerged a colossal ship—over a hundred meters long, its hull carved top to bottom with Magecraft formations, studded with Magic Crystals, and equipped with fifty oars on each side.
Pulled by several snow-white owls, the massive vessel broke through the shimmering curtain and glided toward the shore.
Beyond the half-open curtain of light, the majestic and solemn silhouette of Areopagus could be faintly seen.
Boom!
A silver-white lightning bolt suddenly dropped from the heavens, striking the massive ship. Divine runes surfaced across the planks, glowing with shifting light—its entire body gleamed as if newly forged from metal, unbreakable and indestructible.
Hum—
Next, a vast flock of cuckoos gathered in the air, forming an archway leading straight into a sacred grove. A giant covered in countless glaring eyes hefted an ancient tree whose trunk bore human features. As the tree's face screamed in agony, the giant hacked off several wooden slabs, using them as the ship's bow shield and as masts.
The local priests immediately consulted their scrolls, then burst into excitement. They proclaimed the wood to be from the sacred tree of Dodona, famed for foretelling fortunes and warding off calamity.
Moments later, Poseidon's sea-horse chariot descended, followed by the blood-red radiance of Ares—each god bestowing blessings upon the vessel.
What once would have been rare miracles suddenly fell like cabbages from the sky, layer upon layer of divine favors piling onto the ship.
The people of the harbor, stunned and trembling, crowded forward to pray and kneel, marveling at this creation bestowed by the gods.
Even the King of Iolcos—alarmed and pale—rushed to the port with a large retinue of priests. They burned incense on the spot, prepared offerings, and began performing rites to honor each deity involved.
Meanwhile, Samael had already slipped away, retreating to a quiet corner. Leaning against a tree, he connected to Areopagus and let out an annoyed snort.
"I told you to fish my ship out of the sea and hand it over. Why make such a spectacle?"
Athena blinked innocently in her temple.
"You can't pin this on me. Zeus came because he's had his eye on those fifty heroes gathered for the Golden Fleece expedition.
Hera showed up because she felt like testing Jason on the road, and since she liked what she saw, she tossed him a blessing.
Poseidon—well, you can't set sail without consulting the Sea God.
As for Ares, he definitely wouldn't bother on his own. Either Aphrodite nudged him into it, or Zeus ordered him.
Anyway, it's all coincidence. And with this many Main Gods seeing you off, shouldn't you feel honored?"
The Goddess of Wisdom narrowed her eyes, smiling with pointed mischief.
"Besides, when you visit the in-laws before a long trip, you shouldn't play favorites, right?"
"You just sit on Areopagus spying on me all day. Got nothing better to do?"
Samael's complexion instantly darkened. Athena's hint brought back memories of his recent "seven days and seven nights," making shame flare hot across his face.
A moment later, the Ancient Serpent's eyes glinted. He let out a low, sinister chuckle, tapping his nails as he drawled,
"Speaking of which… did you receive the golden apple I sent you?"
Crrrk—
The previously smiling Athena froze. Her face stiffened, and her teeth ground together audibly before she forced out a voice trembling with fury through clenched jaws.
"You have the nerve to bring that up?!"
...
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